Detached Segment of Poem Anthology Kokin-wakashu, known as ”Koya-gire”

Heian period, 11th century, Sumi on paper Important Cultural Property
The Kokin-wakashu poetry collection was created at the behest of the Daigo Emperor and completed in 905. The original has not survived. The oldest copy, known as the “Koya-gire,” dates from the eleventh century and originally consisted of twenty scrolls. Over the centuries, however, it was divided, and the full set of scrolls has not survived. This fragment is from the end of the first volume, which consists of poems on spring. The headnote, which begins Sakura no hana no sakari ni (At the height of the cherry blossom season), and the five poems that follow have been written on paper the entire surface of which has been dusted with mica. Perhaps to stir up excitement at the end of the volume, the brushwork is vigorous and flowing. The handscroll is mounted on delicately textured silk gauze, a choice perhaps made at a later period, that gives it an elegant beauty.

YINTUOLUO

Detached Segment from The Deeds of the Zen Masters, Tanka Burning Buddhist Statues

Yüan dynasty, 14th century, Sumi on paperNational Treasure
The figure on the left is the Tang dynasty Buddhist priest Danxia (Japanese: Tanka), who is warming himself at a fire. He is burning a statue of the Buddha. The priest on the right is criticizing that action, but Danxia, in reply, points out the meaninglessness of the worship of graven images. Danxia’s foolish look and cynical smile and the other priest’s pointed finger convey the atmosphere of the situation. The famous paintings in Deeds of the Zen Masters include Hanshan and Shide (Kanzan Jittoku; Tokyo National Museum), Budai (Hotei; Nezu Museum), Master Zhichang (Chijo Zenji; Seikado Bunko Art Museum), and Priest Zhichang and Courtier Libo (Chijō ribotsuzu; Hatakeyama Memorial Museum of Fine Art) are all thought to have originally been parts of a single scroll. The paintings are by Yintuoluo (Indara), the calligraphy by Chushi Fanqi (Soseki Bonki), both famous late Yüan dynasty Zen priests.

SESSHU

Landscape of the Four Seasons（Spring Landscape）

Muromachi period, 15th century, Sumi and light color on silkImportant Cultural Property
As the eye shifts from the prominent peak at the center of these paintings, one discovers the four seasons, each in noble form: plum blossoms in spring, a refreshing waterfall in summer, vivid autumn foliage in fall, and the snow-covered mountain itself in winter. Examining the details and then the whole reveals the great variety of subject matter and palette in this set of four hanging scrolls, a lavish group of landscape paintings. Sesshu is known for his landscapes addressing the relationship between nature and humankind; in them he constructs a utopian space. Recent research has suggested models Sesshu may have used in creating these paintings: Ming dynasty Chinese painting Landscapes of the Four Seasons (Kyushu National Museum) and Rowing Home on a Mirror Lake, attributed to Yan Ciyu (National Palace Museum, Taipei). Those discoveries invite a rethinking of the context in which these paintings were created.

SESSHU

Landscape of the Four Seasons（Autumn Landscape）

Muromachi period, 15th century, Sumi and light color on silkImportant Cultural Property
As the eye shifts from the prominent peak at the center of these paintings, one discovers the four seasons, each in noble form: plum blossoms in spring, a refreshing waterfall in summer, vivid autumn foliage in fall, and the snow-covered mountain itself in winter. Examining the details and then the whole reveals the great variety of subject matter and palette in this set of four hanging scrolls, a lavish group of landscape paintings. Sesshu is known for his landscapes addressing the relationship between nature and humankind; in them he constructs a utopian space. Recent research has suggested models Sesshu may have used in creating these paintings: Ming dynasty Chinese painting Landscapes of the Four Seasons (Kyushu National Museum) and Rowing Home on a Mirror Lake, attributed to Yan Ciyu (National Palace Museum, Taipei). Those discoveries invite a rethinking of the context in which these paintings were created.

MARUYAMA Okyo

Peony and Peacocks

1781, Color on silk
A peacock, its beautiful feathers hanging to the ground, stands on a dramatic example of Lake Tai limestone; a peahen walks at its side. Between them a tree peony with huge flowers thrusts out its branches. Okyo is known for painting from nature. In this example, we can see his commitment in his expression of the mass and volume of the peacock, in, for example, the application of color in extremely fine sections from the bottom layer up to reproduce the overlapping of the feathers. The peony, known as the king of flowers or the noble flower, and the peacock, both a symbol of extravagant display and also a ward against malignant influences, have long been popular motifs. This subject is a perfect match for Okyo’s vivid, decorative style; the strong demand for works of this sort is evidenced by the large number that have survived to this day.

SUZUKI Kiitsu

Mt. Fuji and Mt. Tsukuba (Left Screen)

Edo period, 19th century, Color and gold-leaf on paper
In the Edo period, Mt. Fuji and Mt. Tsukuba were often used as symbols of the eastern metropolis, Edo, in both literature and painting. This view of Mt. Fuji with its gleaming cap of snow is thought to be from the Fuji River side of the mountain, given the inclusion of the pine forest and “cow” groynes (flood control structures). Mt. Tsukuba, which has two peaks, male and female, is probably shown from the Tone River and Kasumigaura side. Given that the screen is signed “Kaikai Kiitsu” and bears the round “Teihakushi” seal, we know that Suzuki Kiitsu created it in his forties, when he expressed his quick-witted, distinctive sense of form and color. His use of the tarashikomi technique to create pooled colors with blurred edges that seem to bubble up, his use of dark sumi, and the mountain forms that suggest paper cutouts are characteristics of that period.

Sotatsu School

Scene from the Tale of the Hogen-Heiji Battles

Edo period, 17th century, Color on paper
These fan paintings were originally pasted on an eight-fold screen. Of the fifteen paintings, six are in the Bridgestone Museum of
Art, Ishibashi Foundation and the remainder in private and other collections. Of them, ten take their themes from the Tale of the Hogen Disturbance and five from the Tale of the Heiji Disturbance. The paintings are unsigned, but since they resemble the fan paintings pasted on folding screens for imperial use, they are thought to be the work of Sotatsu or his studio. The depiction of the human figures, buildings, and other elements in the paintings makes it clear that they were sourced from earlier picture scrolls and screen paintings based on those two tales. Such borrowing was by no means unusual; recomposing the earlier painting to suit the smaller fan format, with its distinctive shape, created a new pictorial world.

IKEDA Koson

Green and Red Maple Trees (Right Screen)

Edo period, 19th century, Color and gold-leaf on paper
The color contrast between the green and red leaves is brilliantly reflected on the golden ground. The green maple tree’s trunk and branches are slender and curved, while the red-leaved one has a thick trunk and rugged, gnarled branches. This screen painting does more than contrast two seasons. It expresses the entire life of a maple tree. We know from the “Koson Sanshin” signature and the “Renshinkutsu” and “Kyushoken” seals that this work is by Ikeda Koson. The design of this screen is very similar to a screen by Koson’s teacher, Sakai Hoitsu, and one by Ogata Korin reproduced under the title Green and Red Maples in Korin Hyakuzu (One hundred pictures by Korin), which Hoitsu published. While the designs are similar, each of these works has its own distinctive style; they are thus of great significance in understanding the artist’s aims and individuality.

SAKAI Hoitsu

Newly Selected Six Immortal Poets and Flowers and Plants of the Four Seasons

Edo period, 19th century, Color and gold-leaf on paper
The vivid colors of the flowers and plants stand out against the bluish gold leaf background. The flowers and plants are placed so that the seasons unfold with spring on the right and winter on the left, as one faces the screen; they include some unusual species, including fritillary and yarrow. The portrait of each species captures its characteristics so accurately that the screen looks like an illustrated guide to the flora. The square at the upper part of the screen contains waka poems and portraits of the newly selected six immortal poets, including Fujiwara Teika and Saigyo. The screen painting is signed “Uge Hoitsu” at the left edge; the signature and the round and gourd-shaped seal impressions reading “Bunsen” are Sakai Hoitsu's. This work is thought to date from between 1817, when Hoitsu named his residence the Ugean, hanging a plaque with that name on it, and his death in 1828.

IMAMURA Shiko

Umi-no-Sachi and Yama-no-Sachi (Left Screen)

1908, Color and gold on silk
Shiko had worked to master historical painting that was true to the facts of history. This painting, based on the story of Umi-no-Sachi and Yama-no-Sachi in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, Japan’s earliest compilation of mythology and history), is, however, quite different in style and intent from his earlier work. He has depicted Yama-no-Sachi with his hunting gear, Princess Toyotama, with fishing gear, and her maidservant, but not with the classic history painting approach reproducing a specific scene. What Shiko aimed at with this painting was to cause one to imagine ancient times. The flat planes of color, with no clear outlines, and the background’s dull gleam from the gold leaf that Shiko applied to the underside of the silk on which he was painting help dramatize a world of myth. This change in Shiko’s work was received instruction from Okakura Tenshin the previous year.

YOKOYAMA Taikan

Tadasu-no-Mori Forest in Autumn Rain

1919, Color on silk
Is the rain falling on the forest a fine rain like autumn mist? Or has it just ended? The air is moist, blurring the silhouettes of the trees, fence, and lantern. Tadasu-no-mori is the extensive wooded setting for Kyoto’s Shimogamo Shrine, a sacred spot mentioned in Heian period poetry that has long had a place in Japanese hearts. Taikan showed this painting in his Ten Titles: Rain in and around Kyoto at the Takashimaya department store in Osaka in 1919. The full set, which addressed the rain at famous spots in Kyoto, at various seasons and times of day, included Rain at Sanjo Ohashi, Evening Rain at Katata, Thunderstorm on the Uji River, Evening Rain at Tatsumihashi, Rain on New Growth at the Hachiman Shrine, Misty Rain on Higashiyama, Drizzling Rain at Fushimi, Spring Rain on Arashiyama, and A Shower on the Lake.

Japan, Arita

Dish, decorated with chrysanthemum and water stream design in overglaze enamels

Edo period, 1660-1670, Porcelain
The chrysanthemums arranged in an arc, the barley leaves curling on the inside, and the water flowing in from the right form a unique pattern and present a rhythmical atmosphere that corresponds to the shape of the dish. The Kakiemon style, which excels in colorful overglaze painting on a white ground, materialized at the beginning of the Edo period. This dish dates from the initial stage and is notable for its high degree of perfection.

Japan, Hagi

Tea Bowl, Hagi ware

Edo period, 17th century, Pottery
The cracks visible all over the bowl are crackles caused by the sudden change of temperature when the bowl is removed from the kiln and the difference in the degree of contraction between the clay and the glaze. Though trifling in amount, water permeates these crackles, affects the clay over the years, and brings about changes in the color tone. Being highly absorbent, the clay employed in Hagi ware shows marked changes, which are referred to as “nanabake (seven transformations)” and favored as an attractive feature.

China

Chinese Tea Caddy, in the bunrin style, named "Takarabukuro"

Second half of 13th century - 14th century, Pottery
Compared to the plump body gently rounding out from the small mouth, the bottom is tightly tapered. It is small in size and looks as if it might fall over. Likening its charming shape to an apple, this type is called a bunrin chaire. Although it is not clear when it arrived in Japan, this tea caddy was imported from China and prized as a karamono (Chinese object) in the tea ceremony.

China, Longquan Ware

Vase, celadon, decorated with iron brown spots

Yüan dynasty, 14th century, PorcelainImportant Cultural Property
The rounded shoulders of this vase swell gently from the body. The neck stretches upward and then out in a trumpet-shaped mouth. This elegant form, made of fine clay, is covered in a veil of glaze, producing a charming effect. The brown spot accentuate the fascinating color of the glaze; they appear almost casually placed but their arrangement achieves a subtle balance. Celadons with iron brown spots such as this were created at the Longquan kilns in the fourteenth century, during the Yüan dynasty. Known as tobi seiji in Japan, such wares were particularly treasured among men of tea. The other surviving examples of these rare celadons include a bottle with iron brown spots, a designated national treasure, in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, and a vase quite similar to the one shown here in the Sir Percival David Collection in the British Museum.

China, Longquan Ware

Long-necked Vase, celadon

12th - 13th century, Porcelain
This type of vase with a long neck stretching straight out of the body and accented with a linear design is likened to bamboo joints and referred to as “bamboo-shape” in Japan. Made in a Longquan kiln in Zhejiang province, China, this type of celadon was appreciated in Japan and quite a few works were imported. Among them, this vase is characterized by its thin mouth that opens out horizontally and the body that swells flatly as if in concert with the mouth.